The 1960s were a decade of transformation and trauma for Washington. The March on Washington in 1963 brought a quarter million people to the Mall. JFK’s assassination brought the city to a standstill. And the 1968 riots that followed Dr. King’s murder left scars across entire neighborhoods that would take decades to heal.
Before L’Enfant Plaza’s Brutalist towers, Southwest DC was a thriving neighborhood. We dug into the Evening Star archives to trace the full story, from the 1954 demolition to the Fedlandia proposals reshaping the area today.
Explore the legacy of Massimo Vignelli, the visionary designer behind the Washington Metro’s iconic look. Discover how his philosophy of simplicity and functionality shaped the visual identity of D.C.’s public transit system.
Braddock’s Rock was where General Edward Braddock reportedly camped on the Potomac in 1755, with a young George Washington along.
The Silver Sightseer streetcar gave cool, narrated tours of Washington D.C.’s famous landmarks in the late 1950s. Read about this one-of-a-kind, air-conditioned trolley that was specially decorated before it tragically burned down years later when the streetcar system closed.
In June 1966, the Pagans and Avengers shot it out in broad daylight at the Lee Harrison Shopping Center in Arlington. Eleven bikers went to prison.
Discover the real-life inspiration for St. Elmo’s Bar from the iconic 1985 movie. Georgetown’s The Tombs played a starring role in shaping this classic spot.
The full history of Dulles Airport: when it was built, why it’s named Dulles, the Concorde arrival, the Unabomber, and the Virginia farmland it replaced.
Take a look at a cool old photo of Union Station in Washington, D.C. taken by Thomas O’Halloran on August 14, 1963. Learn more about the historical context of the photo including the Great Train Robbery, James Meredith’s graduation, and the March on Washington.
The Willard Hotel closed without warning in 1968 and sat empty for 18 years. How a $73 million renovation saved one of Washington’s most historic buildings.
